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"Dire serive at A&E"

About: Whipps Cross University Hospital

My partner had the misfortune to have to attend A&E due to a rugby injury. There are very few positives we could find about the hospital, other than the majority of areas were very clean. The negatives: - Department has moved- signage needs huge improvement. Directions were covered by an ambulance that was parked there both when we arrived and departed (4 hrs difference) -Upon arrival when taking his details the receptionist answered a personal mobile phone! - No toilet paper or even a dispenser (it had been removed from the wall) in the toilet. Also, despite it only being 18.30hrs the cleaning sheet had been signed off until 21.20hrs - No privacy in triage at all. The room had 2 doors- one was closed (leading to the main waiting room) but the other was open into a large room, so we could hear everyone and they could hear us, and there were people being discharged there etc - After being seen by a triage nurse we were sent to x-ray. After 45 minutes told that there was no request for an x-ray in the system and sent back to A&E. Upon arrival we were then called again by someone- (unsure if this was a Doctor or Nurse as we were not advised of this) who knew nothing about us having been sent to x-ray, and when the member of staff felt the finger said they were "certain there was no fracture, they wouldn't have even x-rayed yet would still x-ray for peace of mind" We did get fast tracked when we got back, but it transpired that despite this assurance, there actually was a fracture. - The Doctor/Nurse used very technical terms which for a layman were impossible to understand. As a Scientist and someone who had done extensive research into what might be the issue my partner understood this (including the point when the member of staff wrongly named one of the joints) but I certainly didn't, and felt that it didn't "cater to the masses" the member of staff also cited the wrong hand! - Neither nurse had ever strapped up a thumb in this particular way. Whilst they did it and it was checked by the member of staff we saw originally he was still able to move it, so it was not secure. - Told that fracture clinic will "call within a week to book an appointment but often they don't, so if they don't call you call them" Overall an awful experience. So much so that my partner will be requesting a different hospital for Fracture Clinic!

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